Trump Participates in White House Correspondents' Dinner for the Second Time

SadaNews - President Donald Trump participated in the White House Correspondents' Dinner, which was reorganized on the night of Friday to Saturday amid tight security measures, three months after a shooting incident that forced him to leave.

Trump launched an attack on what he described as "fake news media," while jokingly discussing the possibility of him taking a third presidential term during a speech at the dinner held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Washington. He stated, "This place likely has the largest collection of people suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome."

The American president began his speech on a relatively conciliatory tone, recalling the armed attack that forced him to leave the party in April, saying, "The show must go on." However, he quickly transitioned to attacking a broad range of his perceived opponents in a speech that was at times meandering, starting from journalists to Democrats.

Trump concluded his nearly hour-long speech by expressing that he holds "great respect" for the attending journalists, before adding, "When I leave, you will all be bankrupt."

Despite the threats he claimed came from "crazies," Trump insisted on participating in the dinner and delivering a speech for an event that was not completed in April after an armed assailant attempted to storm the dinner held inside the Washington Hilton Hotel, firing shots at a security checkpoint outside the venue. Cole Thomas Allen, 31, pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, including the attempted assassination of the American president.

This time, police and National Guard members closed off the surrounding roads and established a widespread security perimeter, although the screening of guests was limited to relatively quick checks, as the event was moved from the Hilton Hotel to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, one of the hotels previously owned by Trump.

The director of the U.S. Secret Service, Sean Curran, was seen at the hotel entrance monitoring the arrival of guests before walking around the main lobby, according to an AFP reporter. The association's president, Weijia Jiang, stated when announcing the rescheduling of the dinner in June, "We will not allow violence to have the last word," while Trump at that time praised the "strength and resilience" of the organizers.

Trump's attendance at the dinner in April was his first participation in this event during his two presidential terms, reflecting his ongoing criticisms of media that he describes as the "enemy of the people."

In addition to Trump's speech, the program for the new evening featured similar segments to the original celebration, including a performance by mentalist Oz Perlman, a tribute to a Secret Service agent who helped stop the suspect during the shooting, and recognition of the staff at the Hilton Hotel.